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Grandma Of Teen Whose Body Was Found Stuffed Under Cruise Bed Shares Disturbing New Details About Stepbrother
The grandmother of the cheerleader found lifeless on a Carnival cruise ship has come forward with new details on the stepbrother’s reaction as he was questioned by investigators.
Anna Kepner, 18, was discovered in her cabin by a room attendant on November 7.
The Florida teen, who had been on a Caribbean vacation with her family, was found wrapped in a blanket under a bed and covered with life vests.
Highlights
- Anna Kepner was found lifeless under a bed in the cabin she shared with her stepbrothers on November 7.
- The 18-year-old had been on vacation aboard a Carnival cruise with her blended family.
- Anna’s grandmother, Barbara, said one of her stepbrothers broke down while being questioned by investigators.
Authorities concluded that Anna had lost her life by asphyxiation caused by an arm pressed across her neck.
RELATED:
Anna Kepner, 18, was found lifeless in her Carnival cruise ship cabin on November 7
Image credits: anna.kepner16
The victim had reportedly been sharing her cabin with her 14-year-old and 16-year-old stepbrothers. The boys slept in bunk beds while Anna had her own bed, according to The Daily Mail.
When her body was discovered, the ship was in international waters between Mexico and Florida. It returned to Miami a day later so the FBI could begin its investigation.
Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother, whose name has not been released for legal reasons, was later identified as a suspect in the case.
Image credits: fl.anna18
Speaking with Good Morning America, Anna’s grandmother, Barbara, described the relationship between the teens.
“They were like brother and sister,” she said. “Two peas in a pod. He was a good student. He played soccer, and is a very quiet young man.”
Barbara, who was also on the cruise, added that the suspect had “demons in his past” that he had been trying to “deal” with.
Anna’s grandmother said the victim’s stepbrother, a suspect who shared a room with Anna, had personal struggles
Image credits: ABC News
“I heard him say in his own words that he does not remember what happened,” she shared.
According to the grieving grandmother, the teen broke down when questioned by investigators.
She described his police interview as an “emotional mess,” noting that the 16-year-old “couldn’t speak” and “couldn’t believe what happened.”
Image credits: anna.kepner16
After the cruise docked in Miami, the stepbrother was hospitalized for psychiatric observation and later released to stay with a family member.
Barbara said Anna and her stepbrothers had agreed to share a room. The 16-year-old was allegedly the only one seen going in and out of the cabin at the time of the crime.
“I know that those two kids cared about each other in the right way. I can’t accuse him because I don’t know what happened in that room, but the summation would be that he did something,” the grandmother concluded.
Barbara, who also went on the trip, said the 16-year-old was the only person reportedly seen entering and leaving Anna’s cabin
Image credits: ABC News
At Anna’s memorial service, her ex-boyfriend, Josh Tew, accused the stepbrother of trying to climb on top of the victim against her will months before the attack.
Anna’s father, Christopher, shared that everyone in the blended family was questioned by the FBI after disembarking from the ship and that he has not received any updates regarding the case.
“I have no idea what is going on right now. We are just trying to sit still and wait for answers,” he said.
“The whole family is lost for words. We miss her and love her more than anything.”
Image credits: anna.kepner16
According to a report by The Daily Mail, Anna’s stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, who is also the suspect’s mother, has filed a motion to prevent any further information about her family from being shared publicly.
Shauntel is reportedly seeking “all proceedings to be closed to the press in the event criminal charges are filed against the minor child,” in order to protect his right to a fair trial.
Anna had been sharing her cabin with her 14- and 16-year-old stepbrothers
Image credits: Shauntel Kepner
Image credits: Shauntel Kepner
She also accused her ex, Thomas, of interfering with the active criminal investigation by sharing “confidential” information.
Shautel and Thomas are reportedly involved in a custody battle over the suspect.
She allegedly wants to “seal the case” and prevent information related to either her custody dispute or her son, including documents, photographs, or texts, from being made public.
The ship returned to Miami the day after Anna’s body was found, so the FBI could begin its investigation
Image credits: HustleBtch_
The victim was a gymnast and varsity cheerleader who attended Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida.
Anna’s school described her as a “bright, kind-hearted young woman whose presence brought warmth and energy into the classroom.”
She is also remembered as a “thoughtful, nurturing” person who was “always thinking of others,” according to an online obituary.
“She had a big, beautiful heart, often sending random ‘I love you’ messages or little gestures that made someone’s day,” the obituary read.
Anna was a gymnast and varsity cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Florida
Image credits: The Pascal Show
The 18-year-old loved the sun, the water, boat days, and beach days. She was set to graduate in May and hoped to join the military, though her dream was to join the local police department to protect her loved ones.
Asked what she hoped for the grieving family, Barbara said, “I hope that we can heal. Whatever happened in that room, the only person responsible is the person who was in the room with Anna,” though she added that she is waiting for the court to decide what justice will look like for the family.
Many people questioned the adults on the trip for having Anna share a room with the teenagers
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What do you think ?
WonderWoman 1 month ago
Why did she agree to share a room with him? Why was it even an option? What is wrong with every single adult in that family? Why do all these "facts" come out after the tragedy and nothing was being done before? Her bio mother lives states away and only found out through Google. Family sounds as dysfunctional AF and was a tragedy waiting to happen.
Anne Edwards 1 month ago
She didn't agree. She wasn't given an option. That poor child, I don't think she was ever given an option or choice in her far too short life. Her father (as he identifies) has a lot of explaining to do and he must be held accountable and responsible for his failure to care and look after her.
Load More Replies...
Pyla 1 month ago
Who puts teenage boys with an 18 year old girl? The guy sounds like a freak, to top it off.
Zac 1 month ago (edited)
i feel like thats a relatively normal thing that happens all the time. especially considering how the rooms on a cruise are like 3 grand for a bad one. i think in 99.9999999999999% of all situations where this happens, they just share a room and enjoy the trip. its a bit odd since they were older kids, but i still dont think thats the part to get hung up on, even the grandma said that she had told her she could stay in their room instead. my question, is why they put her in a room with someone who had intended her harm in the past? and why, if what the exboyfriend says is true, would she have agreed to that? idk something seems off about every part of this. i read an article today where the ME placed her time of death like 5 minutes before she was found. the whole thing is just very very odd. yeah i just found the article. so she was found by housekeeping and a medical alert went out on the ship around 11 am. but the medical examiner says her time of death was at approximately 11:17 am, the same time she was found. her last two social posts were basically "you deserve to be happy even if it isnt with me" and "ive been through so much heartbreak but somehow i keep going". idk if its just bad reporting but i cant really make sense of it all. something odd is going on here.
Load More Replies...
KieLeaHar 1 month ago
These revolting people fúck me off SO MUCH!! They're lying. So the little maggot that k****d her is called Tim. The so-called parents NEED to be charged as well! Anna told these two apparently at least a year ago that this little mongrel was SAing her and they did nothing about it. They just made things worse by punishing her. I got to the point where the evil step biṯch KNEW that people were gonna realise what was happening that she prevented the little maggot's father from seeing him and his younger brother for the past year also because she knew he would find out. He's been fighting to see them. He's been fighting for custody and she blocked him every step of the way.
KieLeaHar 1 month ago (edited)
she's not even her real mother, she hasn't even been in her life that long – her FIRST stepmother was apparently the kindest, most maternal to her should've been labelled as her REAL mother and she was in ONE of the TWO EDITED obituaries they released and kept editing. To the point where they had the killer's name in one at one point and then they took it out. But as we ALL know, these people are so self involved and revolting that they put a teenage girl in a room with 2 teenage boys and they were NOT relatives and one had been sexuaIIy assaulting her for over a YEAR and the disgusting excuse for 'parents' chose to protect the perpetrator and continue to put the victim in harms way.. The parents should be charged along with the son. So should this woman because she clearly knew and is buIIshitíng because her gauging is the step-mole, who married the disgusting 'father' and he has chosen to side with HER instead of his OWN DAUGHTER!!
Load More Replies... WonderWoman 1 month ago
Why did she agree to share a room with him? Why was it even an option? What is wrong with every single adult in that family? Why do all these "facts" come out after the tragedy and nothing was being done before? Her bio mother lives states away and only found out through Google. Family sounds as dysfunctional AF and was a tragedy waiting to happen.
Anne Edwards 1 month ago
She didn't agree. She wasn't given an option. That poor child, I don't think she was ever given an option or choice in her far too short life. Her father (as he identifies) has a lot of explaining to do and he must be held accountable and responsible for his failure to care and look after her.
Load More Replies... Pyla 1 month ago
Who puts teenage boys with an 18 year old girl? The guy sounds like a freak, to top it off.
Zac 1 month ago (edited)
i feel like thats a relatively normal thing that happens all the time. especially considering how the rooms on a cruise are like 3 grand for a bad one. i think in 99.9999999999999% of all situations where this happens, they just share a room and enjoy the trip. its a bit odd since they were older kids, but i still dont think thats the part to get hung up on, even the grandma said that she had told her she could stay in their room instead. my question, is why they put her in a room with someone who had intended her harm in the past? and why, if what the exboyfriend says is true, would she have agreed to that? idk something seems off about every part of this. i read an article today where the ME placed her time of death like 5 minutes before she was found. the whole thing is just very very odd. yeah i just found the article. so she was found by housekeeping and a medical alert went out on the ship around 11 am. but the medical examiner says her time of death was at approximately 11:17 am, the same time she was found. her last two social posts were basically "you deserve to be happy even if it isnt with me" and "ive been through so much heartbreak but somehow i keep going". idk if its just bad reporting but i cant really make sense of it all. something odd is going on here.
Load More Replies... KieLeaHar 1 month ago
These revolting people fúck me off SO MUCH!! They're lying. So the little maggot that k****d her is called Tim. The so-called parents NEED to be charged as well! Anna told these two apparently at least a year ago that this little mongrel was SAing her and they did nothing about it. They just made things worse by punishing her. I got to the point where the evil step biṯch KNEW that people were gonna realise what was happening that she prevented the little maggot's father from seeing him and his younger brother for the past year also because she knew he would find out. He's been fighting to see them. He's been fighting for custody and she blocked him every step of the way.
KieLeaHar 1 month ago (edited)
she's not even her real mother, she hasn't even been in her life that long – her FIRST stepmother was apparently the kindest, most maternal to her should've been labelled as her REAL mother and she was in ONE of the TWO EDITED obituaries they released and kept editing. To the point where they had the killer's name in one at one point and then they took it out. But as we ALL know, these people are so self involved and revolting that they put a teenage girl in a room with 2 teenage boys and they were NOT relatives and one had been sexuaIIy assaulting her for over a YEAR and the disgusting excuse for 'parents' chose to protect the perpetrator and continue to put the victim in harms way.. The parents should be charged along with the son. So should this woman because she clearly knew and is buIIshitíng because her gauging is the step-mole, who married the disgusting 'father' and he has chosen to side with HER instead of his OWN DAUGHTER!!
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